Power Is Never Permanent

AMN FLASH BACK IN HISTORY : Power Is Never Permanent

Once, during the iron rule of General Sani Abacha in the 1990s, two brothers stood tall and formidable in Nigeria’s military and security landscape—Musa and Ishaya Bamaiyi, known as the Zuru Generals. From Kebbi State, they were the first siblings to simultaneously attain the rank of General in the Nigerian Army. A rare feat. Even rarer was their religious contrast: Musa, a devout Muslim. Ishaya, a staunch Christian.

Their names dominated headlines and command posts alike. Musa Bamaiyi became a household name in 1995 when Abacha appointed him Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Uncompromising and disciplined, he redefined the agency. His tenure saw a high-profile raid on the Afrika Shrine on January 14, 1997, leading to the arrest of the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and nearly 100 others on drug-related allegations. Musa passed away in 2007 at the age of 58.

His younger brother, Ishaya, was equally influential. He served as Commander of the Lagos Garrison before being appointed Chief of Army Staff in 1996. His era was controversial. Accused of involvement in the 1996 attempted assassination of newspaper publisher Alex Ibru, Ishaya was later detained along with Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and others after Abacha’s regime ended. After nearly a decade in detention, he was acquitted in 2008.

There was a time when you couldn’t listen to the news without hearing the name “Bamaiyi.” They were arguably the most powerful family outside of the Abachas themselves. Not even General Oladipo Diya, Abacha’s second-in-command, commanded that level of presence in the public consciousness.

And yet—time moved on.

Musa is no more. Ishaya lives, but his name is mostly absent from national conversation. Where it appears, it’s usually in the footnotes of darker chapters.

The lesson is simple, yet profound: Power does not last. Legacy does. What you do with the power you hold—positive or negative—is what endures.

This is not a condemnation. It’s a reminder.

AMN Flashbackk History!

Nobody remains in power forever. Use yours wisely.

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